Pokémon Diamond was my first real dive into the series, and man, it still holds up. You start in this sleepy little town, pick your starter (Turtwig forever), and suddenly you're thrown into this massive world where every patch of grass hides something new. The Sinnoh region feels huge—you’ve got snowy routes, underground tunnels to dig in, and gym leaders that actually make you think before spamming attacks.

Battles are snappy, and the new physical/special split changes how you build your team (no more useless Gyarados with terrible special moves). Plus, the Pokétch is weirdly addictive—I spent way too much time playing with the step counter and daycare tracker. The story’s got some slow bits, but when you finally climb Mt. Coronet? Chills.

It’s got that classic Pokémon grind, but with enough little tweaks to keep it from feeling stale. Just don’t expect to finish the Pokédex without a friend who has Pearl.